‘RHOC’ Producer Admits Season 15 Was a Challenge To Shoot
The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 15 is the first Bravo series to show cast members dealing with COVID-19 and a producer admits this season was especially challenging.
“It has been an interesting season to say the least,” a producer named Bobby shared in a Bravo digital original. “Despite all of the stuff that happened in 2020 that was COVID related and production. The list of stuff that we dealt with and the cast dealt with, I think [made it] a very challenging season to shoot.”
RHOC previews show that the cast is confronted with the pandemic and scramble to find supplies. Stress levels are put to the test when Shannon Beador contracts COVID-19 and her journey is documented this season.
Shannon Beador and producer recount reactions to the pandemic
Shannon Beador recalled what happened when the country began to shut down as cases mounted. “This year in particular I remember you [Bobby] were at my house the day that production shut down,” Beador said.
“And you were pulling up to my house right as my kids were just told that their school was shutting down,” she continued. “And it was just a bit of a panic.”
“I’ll never forget about that day,” Bobby replied. “Is that when we came in, you [Beador] were strangely calm. I think for all the stuff that was going on, here we are, coming into your home. And you had set up on your table, you had all these supplements and all these things for all the crew. It was just a really touching moment to remember that.”
Beador is frustrated with how Kelly Dodd is handling the pandemic
Although shooting during a pandemic was challenging, controversial attitudes surrounding COVID-19 didn’t make matters easier. Kelly Dodd pushed back against scientific claims that the disease was dangerous. She poked fun at mask-wearing and downplayed the severity of the virus.
Beador recently shared her frustrations with Dodd’s attitude, especially after she dealt with COVID-19. “I don’t necessarily agree with a lot of things that she said,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “She puts her foot in her mouth a lot and it’s not good. You know, when this pandemic first hit, I was petrified. Like I couldn’t sleep. I was a mess, and so people are still dying from it. It’s a serious illness and you don’t know if you’re going to be seriously affected by it or not.”
“I have friends … who have lost five plus friends to COVID, so you know there’s a certain respect level that I don’t think that she had for what certain people are going through,” she added, “And I don’t agree with it.”
The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 15 premieres on Oct. 14 at 9/8 central on Bravo.
